The invention relates to harvesting equipment, and more specifically to a self-propelled combine harvester having devices for improving the flow of harvested crop from feed drum to separating rotors.
Self-propelled combine harvesters have a ground drive assembly, a frame, and working implements for picking up, conveying, processing and expelling crop, and drive devices for driving at least one meshing or feed drum, which functions on the tangential flow principle, and two separating rotors, which function on the axial flow principle and are rotatably mounted within rotor housings. Conveying implements are mounted on the separating rotors. A rotor core of the separating rotor has a substantially cylindrical shape on the outer contour where the conveying implements are mounted. The rotor core tapers from narrow to wide in the direction away from the feed drum.
EP 0 591 688 B1 describes a self-propelled combine harvester having a transfer zone design that does not optimally transfer harvested crop from the feed drum to the separating rotor during various harvesting conditions, such as high throughput conditions. Because the harvested crop is conveyed in a radial direction from the feed drum to the separating rotors of the rotor housings, where the harvested crop is moved in an axial direction, the harvested crop may not be received by the separating rotors in an optimal manner under unfavorable harvesting conditions.
There are various types of self-propelled combine harvesters. There are purely axial-type combine harvesters, which thresh and separate the harvested crop by separating rotors mounted in rotor housings. Other self-propelled combine harvesters add a feed drum, which functions on the tangential flow
principle, prior to the rotor housings so as to ensure that the harvested crop is properly transferred from the feed rake to the rotor housings. The feed drum is used for advancing and/or threshing harvested crop. There are self-propelled combine harvesters which take the crop from the feed rake, thresh it in a threshing device, which functions on the tangential flow principle, and then use the separating rotors in the rotor housings exclusively for separating the grain from the straw. A problem common to all these self-propelled combine harvesters is the conveying of harvested crop in varying harvest conditions. With respect to the two adjacent separating rotors design, it is especially difficult to divide the harvested crop flow without causing blockages.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.
An aspect of the invention is to provide a self-propelled combine harvester with an improved design to facilitate the transfer of harvested crop from a feed drum to separating rotors of rotor housings.
Another aspect of this invention is to provide a self-propelled combine harvester having side panels to improve the transfer of harvested crop from a feed drum to the separating rotors of the rotor housings.
In still another aspect of this invention there is provided a self-propelled combine harvester having a pickup zone to facilitate the transfer of harvested crop into the separating rotors of the rotor housings.
In still another aspect of this invention there is provided a self-propelled combine harvester having guide rails, which are directed upwardly at an acute angle and become increasingly elevated in the direction of conveyance, for imparting an upward, axially directed pulse to the harvested crop whereby the increasing elevation amplifies this pulse without thereby blocking the pickup zone in a frontal region.
In still yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a self-propelled combine harvester having a longitudinally disposed dividing wedge for dividing the harvested crop into two paths, wherein the harvested crop glides over the dividing wedge towards the rotor housings and the long stemmed materials, such as stalks, are caught by the separating rotors and drawn into the corresponding rotor housing via the dividing wedge.
Still another aspect of the invention there is provided a self-propelled combine harvester having a feed drum with a height relative to a height of separating rotors such that the feed drum transfers harvested crop with only a minimum amount of upward and downward scatter.
The above aspects are merely illustrative examples of a few of the innumerable aspects associated with the present invention and should not be deemed an all-inclusive listing in any manner whatsoever.